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6 Responses to 1902 Lee Brothers Advertisement

Jim, Any idea what old Bill of Ladings are valued at? I have one from the Lee Lines dated 11/14/16 on Str. John Lee for bales of cotton. This is the only Lee Line mom had but we have four others, the oldest being 1887. We have another from Str. Dick Fowler and still another from Str. Lotus Sims. Any idea?

Michael, I purchased several Lee Line bill of ladings or similar ephemra on Ebay.
As I recall, I paid between $12 and $25 for most of these with one around $70.
If you have access to the book Way’s Packet directory, you could learn more
about the two steamers you have paperwork from. If not, let me know and I can
post what Way’s has to say about both boats. Were you interested in selling
the Lee Line Bill of Lading? If not I certainly understand. How did your mother
become interested in painting Lee Line boats?

Jim, no, I’m not interested in selling the Lee Line bill of lading alone. If I did I would seel them all together as mom has them all in one frame with a glass covering. You got a great deal on yours. Mom probably became interested in Lee Line boats through her steamboat historian menter, Capt. William Tippet from Hernando, Ms. She painted towboats before steamboats and he saw her paintings in a show in Memphis in the late 60’s and persuaded her to try steamboats. With the Lee Line’s home port being Memphis it was probably a Line she was interested. She also did other several other steamboats being a history buff. I have many old books, dozens of old photos of steamboats, etc. that she used to get her authenticity in her paintings. I would have to look wo see which one but one of her steamboat paintings still has France customs paper taped on the back in one of her shows, either in 1970 or 1971.

Mike, several years ago I was able to purchase on Ebay several of William Tippetts self published volumes of work. In one of the volumes he had a picture of the first James Lee shortly after launch. I have not seen a copy of this picture anywhere over the past years while searching for pictures of my families boats. This picture is in my collection of boat pictures on this site. Did your mom have any of William Tippetts self published volumes? Thank you for your interest in LeeLineSteamers.com.

Mike, the pictures I have of some Lee Line boats were purchased in the early 1980’s by my brother; others were purchased from Ebay sellers or other online sellers of old photographs. From what I can gather, most of the pictures my brother or I purchased are widely circulated. My plan is to add to my web site more of my brothers pictures. Which Lee Line boat pictures do you have in your collection.

He just supplied her with the photos and also was her critic if something wasn’t correct in a painting. So that is where she got her authenticity in her work. Alan Bates was also a friend of mom’s and has been a friend to me since her death. In fact I just saw him three weeks ago at the dedication of Howard Steamboat Museum’s $1,000,000 expansion in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Capt. Tippett was suppose to have put mom’s early paintings on microfilm but I haven’t found it. This was all to my knowledge he supplied mom with. His collection I believe is in Cicinnati Inlands Library. I too have some Lee Line Steamers photos.